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26 Nov 2009 : Column 260W—continued
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what statutory basis there is for the use of the automatic number plate recognition technology. [300513]
Paul Clark: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency uses automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems to identify offences relating to the use of unlicensed vehicles in contravention of Section 29 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994. Evidence relied upon to pursue penalties for these offences is gathered using systems that have been type approved in line with Section 20 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.
The Highways Agency uses data from ANPR cameras to help with the effective management of traffic on the strategic road network. The statutory basis for this is covered in the Highways Act 1980 and the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the governance system of the use of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. [300514]
Paul Clark: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) uses a range of measures to maintain high levels of compliance with vehicle licensing requirements, including the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology. DVLA's compliance approach is kept under review by the Vehicle Excise Duty Collection and Enforcement Governance Board, which meets every quarter.
Data from the Highways Agency's ANPR cameras are scrambled at source into a non-unique code which can apply to more than one vehicle simultaneously. It is understood that this process renders the data as non-personal under the Data Protection Act 1998.
In addition, the Highways Agency operates a system of Information Asset Owners to ensure that data are held and used in accordance with current legislation, namely the Data Protection Act 1998 and in accordance with Cabinet Office data handling guidance issued in 2008.
Data gathered by ANPR cameras are stored at the Highways Agency National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC). The Highways Agency's Information Asset Owner (IAO) has ensured that the information is accredited to Information Security ISO27001 standards. In September 2009 Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) conducted a review of procedures at the NTCC and confirmed that standards still met the requirements of ISO27001.
Aviation
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what the average number of passengers on internal flights within Great Britain in the last period for which figures are available is, expressed (a) in passenger numbers and (b) as a percentage of passenger carrying capacity; [301286]
(2) how many internal flights there were in Great Britain in 2008; and what estimate he has made of the overall number of passengers who travelled on such flights. [301287]
Paul Clark: In 2008 there were 255,000 passenger flights departing airports in Great Britain to fly to another airport in Great Britain. These flights carried 15.3 million passengers. This equates to an average of 60 passengers per flight, equivalent to 64 per cent. of estimated seat capacity.
Aviation: Fuels
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much aviation fuel he estimates has been used in the UK in each year since 1997. [301288]
Paul Clark: The amount of aviation fuel uplifted in the UK in each year since 1997 is as follows:
| Petroleum consumption (million tonnes) | |
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance his Department gives to local authorities seeking to reduce their expenditure on concessionary bus fares. [301079]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport does not provide guidance specifically on how to reduce expenditure on concessionary travel. Travel concession authorities (TCAs) are required by law to reimburse bus operators for carrying concessionary bus travellers, with the objective that the operators are left no better off and no worse off by taking part in concessionary travel schemes.
The Department provides guidance to local authorities and bus operators on how to calculate appropriate reimbursement, which sets out the Department's preferred route for calculating reimbursement (via the use of the reimbursement analysis tool). However TCAs are free to use the methodology of their choice subject to ensuring consistency with the no better and no worse off objective.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the cost to the public purse of subsidising bus services was in each year since 1997. [301294]
Mr. Khan: The Government subsidise bus services in England through the Department for Transport's bus service operators grant (BSOG) which is paid to operators of local bus services.
Since 1998, the Government have also provided rural bus subsidy grant which helps local authorities to support rural bus services in England.
The following table shows the amounts paid by Government in each year since 1997 through bus service operators grant and rural bus subsidy grant in England:
| £ million | ||
| Bus service operators grant in England | Rural bus subsidy grant | |
Rural bus services are also supported by local authorities' revenue support grant (RSG) funding. It is for local authorities to decide what bus services to support in their area according to local needs and priorities.
Cheadle Hulme Station: Finance
Mark Hunter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what proportion of the new £50 million allocated for station improvements will be allocated to Cheadle Hulme railway station; [301077]
(2) what recent assessment his Department has made of the case for improvements to Cheadle Hulme railway station. [301078]
Chris Mole: The new £50 million fund is intended for the 10 major (category B) interchange stations identified as requiring urgent improvement in the Station Champions' report. Cheadle Hulme is a medium staffed (category D) station and is therefore not included on this list.
A site survey was carried out on behalf of the Strategic Rail Authority in 2005, as part of the consultation strategy behind the Access for All Programme. This identified that Cheadle Hulme did not meet modern standards for accessibility in a number of respects, and recommended installation of a new footbridge and lifts to all platforms. We currently expect this work to take place during 2010-11.
Climate Change
Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants from his Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity. [300986]
Mr. Khan: The UK delegation will be led by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and his officials. There are no current plans for Ministers or officials from the Department for Transport (DfT) to attend. Officials from DfT are in constant contact with their counterparts at the Department of Energy and Climate Change and will stay in touch with them throughout the negotiations to coordinate the Department's contribution to the various negotiations that will be taking place at the Conference.
Cycling: Accidents
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many traffic accidents involving cyclists were recorded in each constituency in England in each of the last five years. [301293]
Paul Clark: A table showing the number of reported personal injury road accidents involving pedal cyclists in each constituency in England in each of the last five years has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
Disability Aids
Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he plans to implement the recommendations made by the review of class (a) two and (b) three powered wheelchairs and powered scooters. [300702]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport expects to take forward the review's principal recommendations in the form of a public consultation in 2010. The issues we propose to consult on include future fitness to drive, insurance, registration and the training requirements for Class 2 and Class 3 mobility vehicle users.
The Government's aim will continue to be to balance the mobility needs of scooter users with the safety needs of pedestrians and other road users.
Disability Aids: Accidents
Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will commission an inquiry into the number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from accidents involving powered wheelchairs and powered scooters; and if he will make a statement. [300703]
Mr. Khan: There are no plans to commission an inquiry into to the number of deaths and serious injuries involving mobility vehicles. The Department for Transport is aware that the number of mobility scooters is on the increase and therefore it is procuring a survey to help assess the number of mobility scooter users and the extent to which their use may have injured people. Further, the Department is expecting to publish a public consultation on options for change.
The Government's aim will continue to be to balance the mobility needs of scooter users with the safety needs of pedestrians and other road users.
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many incidents causing injury involving mobility scooters have been reported to the police in each of the last five years. [302126]
Paul Clark: The information requested cannot be identified separately. Reported personal injury accidents involving mobility scooters are recorded as part of the 'other motor vehicle' category.
London Airports
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of and how many passengers using (a) Heathrow Airport and (b) Gatwick Airport were in transit (i) between domestic and international flights and (ii) between international flights in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [301290]
Paul Clark: The following table shows percentage of passengers transferring between domestic and international flights and between international flights at Heathrow and Gatwick in 2008.
| Passengers at Heathrow and Gatwick 2008 | ||||
| Heathrow | Gatwick | |||
| Passengers (million) | Percentage of total passengers | Passengers (million) | Percentage of total passengers | |
| (1) This includes domestic to domestic transfer passengers. Source: CAA Passenger Survey | ||||
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